CLIMATE CHANGE SLOWS DOWN SEX DRIVE

While pleasure remains an important aspect of sexual activity, experts are worried that the impact of climate change on sexual wellness, and thus fertility, can disturb demographic patterns among communities

- Naina Gautam

Temperature in the bedroom is a rather positive metaphor in the everyday lives of consenting couples, with the rising temperature taken to mean rising excitement in sexual activity. Climate change, however, has added a twist to this imagery. Multiple studies over the years have found that climate change affects the sexual appetite of couples in an adverse way, with extreme temperature changes at both ends having a telling effect in the bedroom.

While pleasure remains the most important aspect of sexual activity, experts are worried that the impact of climate change on sexual wellness, and thus fertility, can disturb demographic patterns among communities, especially the ones that live in areas which are directly impacted by climate change.

Neha Gupta, a senior consultant of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Fortis hospital in Noida, says that extreme temperatures, natural disasters and environmental pollution associated with climate change can impact reproductive health. “Heatwaves can lead to heat stress, which may affect sperm quality in men and ovulation in women. Increased exposure to environmental toxins, such as air pollutants and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, can also interfere with fertility,” she says.

Heat and Health